Fate is a pain
by Dimmension Traveler
Summary: When an attempt as Dr. Fate to stop a robbery by Klarion goes wrong, everyone is way over their heads in trying to get Giovanni to behave. Under reconstruction.
1. Little Zatara

_I own nothing involving this story what so ever, although if I did, we would see Zatara without Fate's helmet on or at least get to know his character more. Spiderman (mentioned) and Young Justice belong to their respective creators._

* * *

"What did we ever do to get into this mess?" Robin asked as he looked at me, he was looking down at me, which I hated. He was taller than me now and I scowled at him which, evidently, he assumed it to be hilarious and then started to burst out laughing. _Oh how I hate this child!_ My thoughts of gleefully, as wrong as it was to think this, setting him on fire were interrupted by Kid Flash saying, as he looked at me while pinching my face, "Look at this little face.." He pinched my cheek too hard, making me feel threatened enough to yell out at the top of my lungs, in English "Release me! NOW!" To my surprise the stupid boy, and his sidekick, obeyed. Then, my daughter, Zatanna rushed into the room and scooped me up, "Zatanna, you are acting like an overprotective parent, always watching their child every second and not giving them space and.." I stopped talking as I saw their faces, mainly Zatanna's, my small face burning with embarrassment as I wiggled out of her grip. "I see where this is going."

Batman stepped forward "Talk. How did this happen? Why are you a child?" I sneered at him. "I was there, same as you and the rest of the them, so figure it out.." Yes I, Giovanni Zatara, know what happened, I just didn't want to tell Batman or the rest of the league, or even my own daughter, that I made a mistake. That was until I saw Batman take out one of his, overly sharp, bat-shaped boomerangs, _what is the purpose of those things anyway?_ and point it at me as he grabbed the back of my jacket. Then, under the stress of being glared at by my comrades, I vomited all over Batman's boots. He took it like a man and dropped me on my butt as he stalked away saying "Someone get him to talk." Zatanna took me to the side entrance of the cave and asked "Do you remember anything? You were Fate at the time when the spell was said." I nodded "Stupid Klarion. Stupid cat. Stupid 'Magic Shoppe' ." This where it begins.

* * *

Just twenty minutes ago I was Fate and had gotten wind of a valuable artifact, The Stallion's Hoof, that was at this odd magic store in Happy Harbor. The rest of the league must have, somehow, found out because they were there, with our sidekicks. When Zatanna saw me as Fate, it broke my heart to see her try to keep her tears from falling. To my torture, Batman paired me/Fate with her to try to find the item in the shoppe the second we all stepped in the front door because the Shoppe grew to the size of a museum. Fate tried to make conversation with her about what the team had been teaching her. I was really hoping the search was going to be quick. As fate would have it, the search was over in a flash. Zatanna spotted it and exclaimed "Found it!" She was about to grab it when Klarion's stupid cat appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the item and began to run around the room. "Retrieve it!" Fate roared as he used my magic to make doubles of himself, I was stuck with the original, while the original lunged at the demon boy.

He laughed as the Fate clones all failed to catch his cat while the original failed to catch him. Zatanna called the team, I wish she hadn't and had been paying attention as the last of the Fate clones had exploded, while Klarion said "Nurt kcab ot a emit erofeb uoy erew etaf!" The room was dark, for me I mean, as Zatanna yelled "Dad!" I blinked, realizing the helmet was on backwards now. It then hit me Fate was not in control of my body, he wasn't in control! My happiness was short lived as someone took off the helmet. I looked up to see Zatanna, _why is she taller than me?_ I got my answer as to why Zatanna was taller than I was as I looked down. I was small, smaller than the boy wonder, my clothes had shrank to fit me, except for my jacket which was now like a robe on my small frame, my hair was super greasy. _Stupid Fate, why didn't he let me take a shower?_ My wide eyes stared up at Zatanna as I was overwhelmed by fear and started to bawl my eyes out, my tiny five year old lungs were as loud as ever.

That was when someone, probably Zatanna though I couldn't tell because my eyes were too fogged up with tears put the helmet back over my head, the right way, and picked me up.

* * *

"I hate being small! I hate it! Hate it! Hate it!" Zatanna took me back inside, before leaving with Rocket, Megan and Artemis on a girls only mission with Black Canary. This where where Robin, stupid traffic-light colored devil, was tormenting me by dangling a cookie just out of reach for my small arms. I couldn't jump high enough for it because I was small for a ten year-old and small people can't jump very high. "What do you say Zatara?" "Give me the cookie!" "No. You say 'Please give me the cookie'. Then I give it to you." But then KF came in with something better, a chocolate bar! I gave him a pathetic look "Can I have a piece please? Robin isn't sharing the cookies." KF took pity on me and gave me half of his candy. I hugged his leg before going into their living room and sitting on the couch with Aqualad and Superboy as they watched a movie, whilst stealing their popcorn, about some killer sharks called JAWS, before realizing I was in the room, and then changing it to something way more child friendly called Spiderman.

That's when Conner/Superboy asked "Is Spiderman a real person or a fictional character?" I scoffed and answered him by saying "He's a fake. Zatanna and I are the _real _heroes of New York." I went back to watching the movie with a smug grin on my face as Spiderman slammed into a sky scaper. _Serves him right. Jerk._


	2. Sugar Rushed Magician

This chapter contains swearing. Just a head's up.

* * *

I had finished eating the chocolate bar that Kid Flash was kind enough to give me, I must think of a way to pay him back, and I started shaking. Kaldur, otherwise known as Aqualad, along with Megan, who had joined us aswell, and Conner, also called Superboy, had fallen asleep during Spiderman. Robin, or rather Richard John "_Dick_" Grayson, Artemis, Raquel, and Kid Flash, KF or Wally West, had both gone to their homes. Robin stays with Batman and KF was staying with Flash, Artemis stayed at home and Raquel stayed somewhere, I don't know so I don't ask. My shaking was getting very fast and I only had time to register it as a sugar rush before I was running at a speed the would make KF and his mentor jealous of me.

I stopped, not because the sugar wore off but, because I was bored. There were no kids to play with. Wolf was sleeping outside tonight because he mistook Red Tornado for a fire hydrant, and I may or may not have had something to do with it, and Sphere was doing whatever Sphere does when she doesn't want to be noticed, so I didn't have any playmates. Or did I? "Ekoms dna srorrims! Ekoms dna srorrims! Ekam Arataz senolc raeppa!" I tried to cast a spell, and it worked. There were three other handsome devils in the room. "Let's go have some fun.." I announced

* * *

Superboy and the others that were sleeping on the couch woke up to the sound of pots falling on the floor. The meta-human teen walked into the kitchen, following a frantic M'gann, to see Zatara standing on the counter, banging on some hanging pots and pans with a couple of wooden spoons wearing a pair of red boxers with white magician gloves, wands and black hats on it, he had his magician's hat on. M'gann used her physic abilities to pick up the child, who exploded into a small cloud of smoke as Kaldur walked in. "He probably made more clones." Superboy said, knowing if Zatanna can make them then her father would be able to aswell, while he picked up the pot that had fallen on the floor. Kaldur nodded "We should check the other areas in the cave."

Megan was the next to find Zatara, whether it was him or a clone she had no idea, he was in KF's room, climbing on the shelf, trying to grab the Helmet of Fate. She grabbed her, former in this case, den mother, who exploded into a cloud of black mist. _Oh_ _boy_… Megan thought as she floated out of the room. She linked up with Kaldur and Superboy _"Have you found him?"_ Kaldur was the next to answer _"No. All I found was a clone by the pool."_ They heard Conner laugh normally, probably from some other area in the cave. Kaldur growled _"Your lucky I'm still in the pool Conner!"_

"_Guys, focus! We need to-"_ Aqualad's scream cut them off. Conner and Megan ran to the pool to see a five year old Giovanni under the waters surface as Kaldur dove to save him. Megan's eyes got wide as she thought he wasn't going to make it. As Kaldur reached out to him, the boy exploded in a cloud of black, signifying that he was a copy. Kaldur's head poked out of the water. "That was three. Zatanna said that when any magician younger that seven uses a cloning spell the child can only make three clones." "Hello Megan! I can try to make a mind link with Giovanni!" "Do it." Superboy said. Megan nodded and locked onto Giovanni's signal as the Zeta-beam announced "Recognized: A03:Zatanna Zatara." They all paled.

"Hey guys. Where's my dad?" She asked. The three of us were avoiding eye contact. "If you don't tell me, I _will_ put on that helmet and make your lives a living hell." Megan caved "He's in the library!" Zatanna sighed and walked to the library, with the other three in tow, to find Giovanni curled up on the couch, the now-closed book he was reading was his pillow while he was covered up with his oversized jacket, sleeping with a smile on his face. Zatanna smiled and picked up her six year old father. Megan put the book back on the shelf, which was at the top of the case, while Kaldur fixed up the pillow fort the boy made earlier that night, Zatara's eyes opened a little bit as he looked up at his daughter "Zatanna?" He asked, his baby voice was clouded with sleep, as he rubbed his eyes. He looked so freaking adorable!

Zatara sleepily said "Wally, Kaldur and Conner where the only ones nice to me.." He yawned into Zatanna's shoulder "Robin was being a meanie.."

* * *

Short, I know.


	3. DaddyBats and BabyMagician

It was 5:30 in the morning when the Zeta-beam announced "_Recognized_: _A01_-_Batman_." The members of the team, that were staying at the mountain, went to the briefing room to see Batman, Robin, Artemis, Rocket and KF. Zatana was carrying her sleepy father as he yawned and muttered something that sounded like "Why 're they here?"

Megan and Artemis all went 'aw..' as Zatana covered her father in a black blanket, with a ton of yellow letter Z on it, while the guys smiled at their former den mother. "There is a mission in Italy." Zatara's eyes lit up, all hints of sleepiness were no longer existent as he started to ask "Can I-" Batman cut him off by saying "No." The magician's eyes got wide with disappointment. Robin looked at him "How can you say no to that-"

"_ekaM_ _niboR_ _etum_!" Zatana yelled. The younger teen's mouth was moving, but there was no noise. Robin was jumping up and down, supposedly yelling as he was moving his hands around rapidly, KF, Supey and Kaldur are _dieing_ of laughter. Zatara looked at Batman "Can Zatana stay here and watch me?" Batman said "No. She is needed on this mission." Zatara looked alittle mad "Well then, I can just stay in the Bioship."

"No. You will _stay_ in the cave and that is _final_." The teens nodded and, as they were walking to the Zeta-beam, Zatana placed her sleeping father in Batman's arms. The man looked at the little magician, once the teens had left, and he smiled alittle. So Zatara _did_ look cute as a kid. To be honest, Batman would have pictured him to have been _so_ not cute. He placed Zatara on the couch and watched him sleep. The boy-former man/Batman's mentor in the art of an escape master- didn't even shiver as he felt the shadow hover over him as he slept.

* * *

Batman wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but when he woke up, there was the sound of a screeching boy and a broken ceramic jar. He walked into the kitchen to see Zatara on the floor, holding his hand, with the cookie jar in pieces and the stovetop on. Batman turned off the stove, picked up the magician and swept up the ceramic jar and cookies all in one movement. He bandaged up Zatara's arm, after cleaning it, and walked the boy out the living room again. As the boy sat on the couch, Batman said "Stay put."

He walked to the kitchen and then came back in with a glass of water. He passed it to Zatara and then turned the television on to a news feed about some woman who had her purse stolen, police business, before the two heard the zeta-tube announce the arrival of the Team. They walked in and were laughing, well except for Robin, until Zatana saw her father's arm. Her face lost all color. "_What_ _happened_?" Batman, though you couldn't see it through the cowl, was sweating. On the outside he seemed calm, but on the inside he was having a heart attack, if Zatara was overprotective, oh boy, Zatanna was in _full_ mama bear mode. Batman was in _serious _trouble.

Zatara climbed up Batman's cape and then sat on his shoulder "He didn't hurt me, I burned myself." Zatanna looked at her father and nodded, accepting his answer, much to Batman's relief. Robin smirked at his partner, only he would notice Batman's nervousness, before turning to Zatara and glaring. Zatara returned the glare, until Megan gasped "Hello Megan! It's Monday! School starts in thirty minutes!" Those who had school, which were Robin, Artemis, Megan, Conner and Wally, scrambled to collect their things.

"Bye guys!" They called as they took off out the Zeta-tube, after placing Zatara in Zatanna's arms, Batman followed them. All was calm, until Kaldur remembered something "I must return to Atlantis, my king has requested council with me and his queen!" "Bye Kaldur." Zatanna said as Zatara bye. Kaldur waved goodbye to his friend, and her child mentor, before he ran out of the room.

"So dad," Zatanna said, breaking the silence "we have the entire cave to ourselves for an entire day. What do you want to do?" Zatara looked like he was contemplating "Can we just talk?" Zatanna nodded "Okay."


	4. Parental Paradox part 1

"So, wait, he _kissed_ you!" Zatara yelled, a little kid or not, his voice was loud. "Actually," Zatanna said "_I_ kissed him.." She admitted "I understand." "Really?" Zatanna asked. Her father nodded, smiling in fond remembrance "Sindella's father nearly _killed_ me for kissing your mother." "Why?" Zatara shook his head "I'll tell you when you're older." "Aw.. But Dad.."

"No buts missy, I'll tell you in.." He trailed off because the Zeta-beam announced the arrival of the team _{A/N: Too many numbers, can't remember}_. The teens walked in, sans Kaldur who was still with his king and queen and Rocket who was in Seattle with Icon, Robin was laughing this time because Zatanna's spell wore of during his second class. Zatara looked at the teens, how they interacted with one another, wondering why he hadn't let Zatanna give the Team a try before. Unfortunately, his answer would come in the next ten minutes.

"Recognized: A01-Batman." They all stood up, including Zatara, and faced their missions conductor. "Team." He said, before turning to the little magician "Zatara." "Hi Batty." Zatara said, moving onto Wally's shoulder "A creature made entirely of magic has been sighted in the farm fields of Happy Harbor. You're orders are to contain him in one area until the league can it." Zatara scoffed. Everyone turned to him "They'll need some extra magic if they hope to contain it." He was cut off by Robin's laughter as he said "You're a twerp! You can't do anything!"

"Eb teiuq!" Zatara yelled at Robin. The teen was about to respond when Batman said "Very well." "What! Are you _kidding!"_ Zatanna yelled, Zatara was so freaked out that he fell off of Wally's shoulder and was ignored as the others watched the magician yell at Batman. The man was once again calm on the outside and panicking on the inside Zatanna started again "He's just a kid! He could get hurt! You're as psycho as the crooks you put away! He _isn't_ going!"

Batman looked at her and then to her father, who was now sitting on the couch, before turning to Zatanna "He's going." He turned his eyes to the team "All of you get to the Bioship, I need to have a word with Zatanna.." They all turned around and walked to the Bioship "And Robin." The teen stopped in his tracks as his name was called. The others turned back as they walked out the door. Zatara, who had an evil look on his little face, waved bye to Robin. The teen glared at him. It was _so_ on.

* * *

In the Bioship:

"This going to be _fun_!" Megan called as she looked at the other members of her team, except for Zatanna and Robin, and their former den mother. "Yeah! Yeah! Fun, fun!" Zatara was now running around the ship, yelling in Italian, and as happy as Kid Flash at an all you can eat buffet. Kid Flash grabbed Zatara and placed him in the child-sized seat next to him. The boy was making happy/annoying noises until Conner yelled "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" He got close to Zatara's face.

The mini-magician only giggled in response before touching the S insignia on Conner's shirt "Hero!" The boy said before he said something that made his clothes change into a child-sized version of Conner's clothes. They all blinked at this, Conner however smirked a little. "Guess you're not so bad little Z." Then, low and behold, a cow flew at the ship.

Megan, using the Bioship, stopped the cow and lowered it to the ground. Zatara started to laugh "Again! Again!" KF laughed "Maybe Conner can juggle a couple of cows for you." Zatara looked from Wally to Conner "Can you? Please?" "Well, I guess-" _"Guys! Incoming!"_ The ship got hit by something and crashed as everyone screamed. That's when everything went black

* * *

_**Oh no! A cliffhanger! What's going to happen next? Review to find out! Their lives, especially Batman's life, depend on it!**_

_**On a side note: There are puns in this story, identify at least one or more of them and I will make a oneshot with the Young Justice couple of your choice.**_


	5. Parental Paradox part 2

Here's the second part of Parental Paradox!

* * *

Batman was flying the Batwing, he was taking Robin and Zatanna to the place where the magic creature was rumored to be sighted, when the radio on the Batwing came on. "Batman." It was Martian Manhunter "The Bioship was shot down." "Oh no." Robin said as Zatanna started to cry. The man in the bat-themed suit flew off to save the teen's and little mage before Zatanna decided to kill him.

The jet touched down on the grass and, after getting out of it, the three moved quickly to the downed and on fire Bioship as the door flew off. _Good_ _ol_' _Superboy_. Robin though as Zatanna ran to the ship. Conner, Artemis and Megan staggered out. Zatanna and Robin looked worried. "Where is Zatara and Kid Flash?" Batman asked, making the teen's look at one another. They heard something move in the Bioship.

They turned to see Wally carrying an unconscious Zatara. The two were covered in ashes and Wally was coughing. "What happened here?" Batman asked. The teens all looked at each other, not knowing what to say, except for Kid Flash "The magic creature attacked us and set the Bioship on fire," His eyes moved to the miniature mage in his grasp "he lost consciousness from breathing in the ashes while casting a spell."

Zatanna's eyes widened a little "What spell?" Wally shrugged "It was a protection spell or something. All I know is that if he hadn't, we'd all be extra crispy." Zatanna pulled her father into her arms and nodded to Kid Flash "Thank you for bringing him out of the flames." Wally nodded "It was no big deal. Just another job when you're a superhero. You have to protect the innocent." Batman nodded

"Let's go team. I'll have Superman and Martian Manhunter retrieve the Bioship." Megan nodded and the team followed. Within minutes they were back at the mountain. Zatara was placed in the med-bay with a breathing mask over his mouth. Zatanna was in her room with Robin, because he followed her, and the teen was trying to create conversation. "Zee, you're dad's gonna be okay. He's Sorcerer Supreme, remember?"

He kissed her lips swiftly. Zatanna stared at him "Yes, I know. But to me, before the helmet, before I met any of you, he was always Sorcerer Supreme. He didn't need Nabu's helmet to be that, he was, he is and he _always_ will be Sorcerer Supreme to me." Robin smiled a bit and began to kiss Zatanna's lips again. She kissed back. That's when "_Zatanna_!" They turned around to see Zatara's little face looking angry.

Zatara disappeared from his spot and was between the two. He glared up at Robin, the look on the boy wonder's face said 'don't hurt me, I bruise easy' while Zatara's said 'make out with my daughter again and it won't matter if you're Batman's sidekick, I'll kill you'. Zatanna scooped up her father and said "It's okay dad, it's okay." That's when Zatara broke down, he was crying and screaming about incoherent things.

Zatanna held Zatara and let him cry into her shoulder as Robin left the room to go get something. When Robin came back, Zatanna was tucking Zatara in the covers of the bed. The female magician kissed her father's forehead as she finished tucking him in. "Sweet dreams dad.." Robin smiled "You really do care about him, don't you?" Zatanna nodded "He's my dad. He's overprotective, that much is true, but I love him a lot." Robin turned the lights off as the teens walked out "Have a nice nap Zatara."

* * *

Zatara woke up from a really scary nightmare and he was scared, until he felt Zatanna's magic lingering in the air from spells she had cast in the room. He was calm. He got out of the bed and looked around the room, his green eyes glowing in the dark to illuminate the room around him. He saw the blanket Zatanna wrapped him in hours ago on a chair. He pulled it off the chair and held it as he walked out of the room.

It dragged across the floor as he walked through the halls of the Cave. The boy walked to the living room and saw that Conner, Megan and Wally were playing a video game, well Wally was playing while Megan and Conner were watching while Robin fell asleep on an arm chair and Zatanna occupied the love seat.

Megan was the first to spot Zatara. "Hello Zatara." She said, floating over to him. Zatara held up his hands, still clutching the blanket, and his eyes were asking her to pick him up. "Oh, you're so cute!" Megan said as she scooped up the mini-mage. Zatara smiled, his stomach growled, making him blush. Wally laughed "I'm kinda hungry too." He looked over at Superboy "Wake them up, it's dinnertime."

The dinner was chaotic at best. Zatara kept making threats at Robin for even looking at Zatanna, the boy wonder responded by saying he wasn't scared of Zatara because his mentor was the Batman. Zatara said that he _trained_ Batman. For a second, all of the teens looked terrified. Zatara had a smug look that was pointed straight at Robin, then sparks flew out of both of their eyes. At that moment, everyone knew it was going to be chaos.


	6. Adventure's In Babysitting

"No! Why do I have to babysit him!" Robin yelled.

"Because," Zatanna scoffed "Raquel, Artemis, Megan and I scheduled today to be girls day out. Kaldur is still in Atlantis, Wally is grounded again and Superboy is in Metropolis with Superman."

"Fine.." Robin huffed before he turned to the six year old with the mind of a forty year old.

The spring green eyes, green was rare for a human but that color was especially rare for a magician offspring, looked at them, stopping his attempts to put a saddle on Wolf while decked out in cowboy attire, with curiosity.

"Do you want us to buy you guys anything?" Artemis asked as she checked her purse.

"Nope. I'm good." Robin replied as Zatara gave a triumphant cry and Wolf gave an angry growl.

The girls and teen looked to see Zatara, the cowboy, on the back of Wolf, his trusty steed, who was not happy. The girls smiled at the sight.

"Sorry Wolf," Zatara said "I'm just bored." The semi-domesticated wolf tried to throw the boy off of him and was rewarded with a cry of "Woo-ho!" The wolf tried to throw off his unwanted rider while running down the halls.

"Bye Robin." The girls chorused

"Watch him!" Zatanna yelled at the teen before walking out the Zeta beam with the girls.

Robin was alone with Wolf and Zatara. Oh no! He was _alone_ with Wolf, who wasn't much of a problem, and _Zatara_.. The teen ran for cover as Wolf, after accepting his fate as Zatara's steed, trotted back into the room.

After Wolf stopped in the center of the room, Zatara dismounted his steed. After getting off of the wolf and giving him pats, ear scratches and saying that he was a 'good puppy,' Zatara looked around for Robin.

The bird wasn't in sight, and Zatara was about to go back to Wolf, until a net fell on him. He then found himself tied upside down and staring at Robin's smiling, to him, upside-down face.

"Your going to stay there until Zatanna and the others come back." Robin replied

Zatara rolled his eyes before saying "I hope you realize that I can _escape_ from this 'trap' Bird-Boy-Blunder."

Robin, although Zatara couldn't see, rolled his eyes before saying "_Try_."

It was Zatara's turn top scowl when he realized Robin had put a gag over his mouth. When he tried to scream at the bird, all that came out was muffled noise. Robin laughed evilly before he turned on the television.

The bird released Zatara from his 'prison' a half an hour later and the boy booked it down the hall. Three minutes later, the boy was back the room. He sat on the opposite end of the couch and glared at Robin

"I don't like you." The minature mage crossed his arms

"Doesn't matter." Was the bird's retort

"Shut up." Zatara barked.

"Make me, you _dis_astrous little brat." Robin replied

"_You're a_ disaster!"

"I am _not_!"

"_Are_ too!"

"Am _not_!"

"_Are_ too!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"Robin! Giovanni Zatara!" The two looked up to see Zatanna and the girls.

Zatara smiled "Hi."

"_Not_. Cute." Robin snarled, causing Zatara to bare his teeth at the bird.

"_You_ trapped _me_ in a _net_!"

"_What_!" Zatanna roared

"Hey! That was self-defense! Fighting can only get you so far when you deal with _that!" _Robin yelled in defense. He pointed to Zatara as his sentence concluded.

Zatanna opened her mouth with Zatara yelled

"Why? Scared I'll rip out your feathers,_ bat-brat_?"

"That's it! I_ don't _care if you're six! I'll_ rip_ your arms and legs off and_ rearrange_ them!" Robin ran at Zatara, who took off running down the hall.


End file.
